


Today in Lucifenia

by Ateremun



Category: Evillious Chronicles
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Fluff, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-08
Updated: 2018-12-21
Packaged: 2019-03-15 08:02:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 16
Words: 16,880
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13609068
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ateremun/pseuds/Ateremun
Summary: In a world where Riliane was never possessed by any demons and knows that Allen is her brother, their interactions in otherwise mundane activities take a much lighter turn.





	1. Paper Cut

**Author's Note:**

> This set of vignettes is based on a Habitica writing challenge, wherein 50 one to four words prompts are given. The title of the chapter is the writing prompt given.
> 
> I wanted to write a lighter world in an alternate universe, where Riliane was never possessed by any demons and never lost her memories of her childhood with Allen. Although the political power struggle that ends with Allen being her servant still happens, I'd like to imagine in this world, Riliane still calls him by his birth name in secret, isn't as much of a tyrant (although still a brat -- some things never change), and Lucifenia as a whole isn't in danger of falling.
> 
> I hope it's enjoyable to read for those who wanted some happiness between Riliane and Allen around the 500 EC era!
> 
>   
> ✾✾✾  
> 

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Riliane has experienced the worst pain a human can imagine -- a papercut.
> 
> ✾✾✾

A loud scream resounded through the Lucifenian palace without warning.  Even though the palace was enormous, it was still easy to hear throughout the halls and the grounds.  Allen, who had been working with Chartette, jumped nearly as high as she did.  However, unlike Chartette, he didn't crack the statue that he was helping her clean.

"What d'ya think that was??" Chartette asked shakily, taking in a deep breath.  Allen briefly noted the crack – they'd have to fix that later, lest Riliane throw a fit – but speaking of which...

"I think that was Princess Riliane." He responded with a frown.  His breathing became faster, and it felt like his heart was skipping too many beats.  "I'll go check on her!"  The boy rushed away without looking back.

"Wait!  D'ya want me t' come with?" Chartette called after him.  Allen didn't respond to her fading voice.  His legs somehow managed to run, although he felt like he would fumble over them and fall at any moment.

As he rushed into the palace, he passed Elluka, who seemed nonplussed at the situation.  He gave her a quick look as he ran by.  "I'm sure she's fine."  Elluka said, examining her fingernails closely.

Allen frowned and continued rushing forward.  He didn't have a weapon on him, and the path he was taking wouldn't give him any; however, the top priority was to get Riliane to safety first.

As he ran around a corner, he saw Mariam running, as well.  "Mariam!"  Allen called.  Mariam turned to look back.  Despite the fact that she was in a long dress, Mariam still ran much faster than he did.  She didn't slow down at all, although she acknowledged Allen with a quick nod.

The scenery blurred by.  Where had she screamed from?  As he began to close in on Riliane's chambers, he heard a young girl sobbing.  That was her.  Allen rushed through the open the door.  "Princess Riliane!"

Mariam was already there, looking at Princess Riliane's hand.  Allen looked around sharply for intruders, but there were none to be found.  All he saw that was out of place was a piece of a parchment haphazardly thrown on her desk, a quill carelessly thrown on top of it, and a bottle of ink leaking the last of its contents onto the floor.

"Princess Riliane?"  Allen was clearly confused, but Riliane only answered with her continued sobs, clutching onto Mariam with a trembling hand that the Head Maid was observing.  Allen ran up to them, and Riliane finally acknowledged him with blue eyes full of tears and a small hiccup.

"What's wrong, Princess?"  Allen reached out examine her hand, but Riliane gripped Mariam tighter.  "Princess??"  All of the worry that Allen had been holding in spilled out into that one word.

"Princess, it is only a paper cut.  You needn't cry like this.  See?  It's not even so deep.  It's already healed." Mariam assured the girl.

"But it hurts so much." Riliane blubbered through her tears.

"It is only on the tip of your finger.  The very worst ones are between your fingers, like here."  Mariam touched the spot between Riliane's index and middle finger, causing the girl to turn a bit pale.  "In any case, I'll go talk to Elluka and get some solvent to ease the pain, okay?  I'll be right back."

Riliane sniffled.  "But it really hurts!  I want something now!"  She commanded weakly.

"If you are patient, then the pain will go away once I bring the solvent."  She chided.  "Allen, will you look after the Princess until I get back?"  Allen gave a determined nod in response.  With that, Mariam excused herself and left.

Riliane stood in the room where Mariam had left her, hiccupping and holding her finger so tightly that the skin around her grip had turned white.

"Princess..." Allen reached over and took her hand in his, examining the source of her pain.  Indeed, it was a papercut about half the width of her index finger.  Although a tiny sprinkle of blood showed, Mariam was right – it had already healed.  Allen took her hand, holding it firmly but gently.

"Thanks, Alexiel." She smiled at him.  Although there were still tears in her eyes, she seemed to be in better spirits.

"What happened?"  He asked, looking at the bottle of ink on the floor.

"I was trying to write a letter to Kyle, and I picked up the parchment, and I guess it was at the wrong angle, and..." Riliane trailed off.

Allen let out a large breath he didn't even know he was holding.  "Riliane, you scared us.  We thought you were being attacked by someone, or you really hurt yourself."

"I did really hurt myself!" Riliane protested vehemently.  "And it hurt!  That's why I screamed!"

If only she trained with Sir Leonhart, the papercut would be nothing, Allen thought to himself in good humour.  "I meant, we thought you had broken something and become immobile, or you fell down the stairs.  Something dangerous like that."

"A lady like myself would never trip down the stairs."  She huffed.

"Really?"  Allen asked with a wry smile.

"Shut up!"  Riliane demanded.  Allen fell silent, although he let the teasing look linger on his face.

Riliane stared at him indignantly, but even that look wasn't enough to stop Allen from giving a small laugh.  "Please be more careful when you are writing letters in the future.  I know that you adore Prince Kyle, but that's nothing worth spilling blood over.  It's a marriage pact, not a blood pact."  The wry smile was back.

Riliane sighed.  "Now the letter is ruined.  I have to start all over."

"Would you like me to pen it this time?" Allen offered.

Riliane paused.  "Alexiel, have you ever been in love?"

Allen almost let go of her hand.  "What?  I– ... well, I don’t think...!"

Riliane sighed.  "If you've never been in love, you can't even hope to capture the true feelings of a lady's heart!  I'll write it myself!"

"As you wish, Riliane.  But, would you like me to watch over you this time?"

Riliane paused.  "Yes, that would be acceptable."  Despite the slight sting it gave, she squeezed her twin's hand.  Allen couldn't help a warm smile from crossing his face as Riliane used her free hand to dry the last of her tears.  "Thank you."


	2. Reading on a Bench

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Allen catches Riliane reading a book as he enters the palace, but what sort of book could it be?
> 
> ✾✾✾

After a long but enjoyable day in town, Allen found himself carrying more than he had anticipated back to the palace.  He’d been trying to save up his money, but somehow the sights and smells today were particularly good, and fewer coins than usual would be going into his hiding space.

Allen was far from weak thanks to Sir Leonhart’s training, but one look at the large palace and the thought of the stairs that he would have to climb caused him to slowly set the bags he was carrying on the ground, off the side of the path.  A break couldn’t hurt, after all.

As he wiped his forehead with the back of his hand, he noticed something yellow out of the corner of his eye.  He turned more fully to see Princess Riliane sitting on a stone bench along the courtyard’s edge.  Allen squinted at her a bit – normally, she’d prefer a comfortable chair, or one of her couches, or the bed big enough for four people that she used for herself.  And yet here she was, sitting on the bench, with her legs out and her back angled to help her head tilt forward.  He couldn’t help thinking that the only person who could rival her in bad posture right now was Elluka.

Riliane seemed to be intently staring at something, and Allen looked closer.  It was a book of some sort, although he couldn’t make out the title from here.  The princess was reading rather quickly, her mind lost to the world inside the pages.  How long had she even been sitting there?

Allen walked over to her, and didn’t get a response, or even any sort of acknowledgement.  With a pause, he tried speaking up.  “Princess?”  There was still no response.  “Princess Riliane.”  Although he spoke louder, her response was the same.  After another moment of pause, Allen lifted his hand and put it firmly on her shoulder.  “Riliane.”

A squeak of surprise involuntarily left the princess’s throat and she immediately sat up.  “What— Allen??  How dare you sneak up on me that way!  Did you not think to call my name?”

“I did.”  Allen replied with a sigh.  “Three times, in fact.  What are you doing out here?”

Riliane closed the book, holding her place with her thumb.  “Isn’t it obvious?  I was reading.”

“Reading what?” Allen countered.

“None of your business.”  She sounded a bit shorter than usual, in spite of being startled.

“Where did you get it?”

“Somewhere.” She quipped, waving the book at him as if it would shoo him away.

Allen stared at the cover as it fluttered.  “ _Temptation of the Knight_?”  He asked, sounding out the title.  Riliane immediately shoved the book in her lap.

“Don’t look at things that aren’t yours without permission!” The princess snapped.  After a moment’s pause, she got up with a huff and used the novel as an extension of her hand to point at him.  “I’m going somewhere else to read.  _Do not_ follow me, do you understand?”

A devious thought crossed Allen’s mind.  He knew he shouldn’t act on it.  Mariam would scold him at best.  More likely, he’d be given the filthiest chores Riliane could think of for as long as she was angry.  Was it worth it?  In that instant, Allen decided that it was.

As she continued to point the book at him, Allen snatched it out of her hands, keeping her place with his index finger.  The princess could only express shock as Allen gave her a mischievous look and shook the book back at her before opening it fully.  She was frozen in place.

Opening to the spot his finger held, Allen began to read.  “Sir Geoffrey gazed into Lena’s eyes with a wanting look—”

The princess’s feet thawed as she rushed at Allen.  “How dare you!  Give that back!”  She lunged, but Allen was able to use his free arm to buy himself some time.  His grin widened.

“—His lips touched hers in a way that felt gentle, but the ferocity of his passion—” Allen was cut off again as Riliane clawed at his arm.

“Give it back!  Stop reading it!  Shut up!  How DARE you!”  Her voice got louder and louder.  He only had so much time left.

“—She caressed his hair—Ouch!!” Riliane finally won, and Allen tumbled into the grass.  She snatched the book out of his hands and, after checking that it was the correct page, pushed it firmly onto the ground before using her small—yet surprisingly strong—fists to punch Allen repeatedly in the chest.

“Stupid!  Stupid!  Stupid!!” She screamed with each hit.  “I told you not to read my books without permission!  These kinds of books aren’t made for you!  Go read a book about… about being a better servant!  Or how to treat a princess!  You’re the worst!”  All throughout her monologue, each part of her sentence was accentuated by a punch.  Sometimes she hit his sternum, sometimes it was his ribcage, and she’d managed his collarbone at least once.

In spite of it all, when Riliane was at the end of her speech, Allen couldn’t help bursting into laughter.  Riliane temporarily stopped her assault to glare at him as he lie in the grass, laughing with his whole being, coat and hair in disarray.

“What’s so funny?”  Riliane demanded.  “If you mention this to anybody, you’ll regret it!” She shouted as if delivering a command.

“No, no, I won’t, Princess.  Who am I to judge what you read?”

Riliane stared at him in silence for a few moments, causing Allen’s smile to turn into a wry smirk.  “Do you miss Prince Kyle?”

Another screech of frustration and flurry of fists from one twin elicited another round of laughter from the second.

“You are the absolute worst!” Riliane shouted.

“If you don’t stop and get off of me, I can’t give you what I got for you at the market.” Allen said with a tired grin, his body now limp.

Riliane paused for a moment, then slowly climbed off him with pursed lips and retrieved her book.

“You are to clean the entire dining hall tonight.  Alone.” She brushed the blades of grass from her gown.

Allen sighed deeply.  That would take hours… as he went to pick up the bags he’d set down earlier, he chuckled softly so that Riliane couldn’t hear.  He’d had more fun than he’d expected.  In the end, he decided, it had all been worth it.


	3. Rust

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finding rusted swords in the armory drives Riliane mad, and even Allen is having trouble calming her down.
> 
> ✾✾✾

Allen sat outside in the courtyard of the Lucifenian Palace, having earned a break after completing his morning chores. The weather was pleasant – the warmth of the sun shone down, occasionally permeated by a cool breeze. In one hand was a mug of water; in the other, a piece of bread. It was a light lunch, but Mariam had given him a light afternoon. As he ate, he considered what to do with his free time – take a nap, read, maybe go to the marketplace…

As he licked the last crumbs from his fingers and began to chug his water, a shrill, unmistakable voice resounded from near the training grounds. “Leonhart!” Allen stopped for a moment. That was his sister, and that tone indicated she was angry over something petty. Sighing internally, Allen resumed drinking.

“Leonhart!!” She called, louder this time. Leonhart was spending time with Germaine outside of the palace, but Allen wasn’t going to shout that back to her. There was another pause. “Allen!!!”

Allen groaned. He stood up, finishing the last of his water and wiping his mouth. Mug still in hand, he quickly made his way to Riliane, who was standing outside the door to the armory. Despite her bright yellow clothes giving her the appearance that a drop of sun stood before him, her dour mood quickly destroyed that illusion.

“What is it, Princess?” Allen grit his teeth to properly greet his sister. Properly enough, in any case.

“Where is Leonhart??” Riliane demanded, approaching him quickly.

“Out.” Allen replied. “Princess, what’s wrong?”

Riliane looked him over and eyed the mug in his hand. “What have you been doing?” She demanded. Allen held up his hand. “This? I was having lunch.” Riliane harshly smacked his hand, causing the mug to go flying and shatter. Allen winced. What a waste.

“I have been calling! Get in here!” She roughly grabbed Allen’s arm and shoved open the door to the armory. Allen struggled at first to keep her pace, managing to kick the door shut behind him before he was dragged further. Brightly polished armor and weapons were all around him. The only thing that prevented them from being truly pristine were signs of being used.

As Allen was dragged further back, however, the weapons and armor near the door became hidden by other, older weapons. At the back of the room, Allen saw numerous weapon racks knocked down. This had to be ground zero of her tantrum.

“What do you see??” Riliane demanded, letting go of Allen’s hand. There was the sarcastic answer, the wrong answer, and the right answer. Although he’d love to choose the first, the third seemed safest.

“Old equipment?” He tried, leaning down to pick up a sword with the hand that wasn’t still throbbing from Riliane’s surprisingly hard hit. As he picked one up, Riliane snatched it away from him. “What is this?” She demanded, pointing her finger at one of the edges. Once he realized what she was pointing at, he held in an aggravated sigh.

“It is rust, M’lady.”

“Lucifenia is one of the strongest military powers in all of Evillious! What are these doing here, Allen?”

Allen pushed back his bangs. “They’re probably just unused weaponry. If you’re that bothered by them, they can be reforged.” Upon seeing Riliane’s furious expression, he continued. “Think of them as relics of Lucifenia’s history.”

“We don’t need relics, Allen! You are to tell Leonhart of this at once.” Allen couldn’t even nod. Riliane was probably upset about something else and taking it out on rusted swords.

“Riliane.” Allen straightened his posture a bit. Although he didn’t look any taller, he did look a bit more intimidating. “This is trivial. Let it be. It’s a nice day out, why don’t you spend it outside instead?”

“As a skilled swordsman, I can’t let the state of our army slide.” She snapped. Allen laughed as Riliane took a step forward. “Silence! I am good! I have beaten many soldiers!”

“They let you win.” Allen replied dryly. Riliane’s eyes widened in unreleased fury.

“How about this, Riliane? I challenge you to a duel. Not as Allen, but as Alexiel. I’ll even use one of these.” He picked up another rusted sword.

“Fine!” Riliane shouted, angrily brushing past him to pick up one of the honed swords near the front door.

The two exited to the still silent courtyard. Riliane got into position, holding her sword clumsily but firmly with both hands. Allen put some distance between them. Contrary to her, he was obviously well-trained. He took his signature Unicorn stance. After a moment of silence, he smiled. “You take the first move, Riliane.” With a yell, she charged towards him.

The duel ended quickly as it had begun. Allen easily sidestepped her, knocking her sword out of her hand and sending it spiraling across the field. In shock, Riliane took a few hasty steps back, promptly tripping on her dress and falling onto her back. Allen stood over her with a somber face, the flat of the blade near Riliane’s neck. “Checkmate.”

Riliane opened her mouth, but no words came out when she saw Allen’s expression. She quickly turned her gaze to the side, still angry but defeated. Upon seeing that, Allen withdrew his sword with a grin and dropped it on the ground behind him.

“The rusted ones still work, huh?” Seeing that Riliane was still upset, he extended his hand. Riliane looked at it with surprise before reaching out her own. Once she had a firm grasp, Allen helped her up. “Are you all right?”

She nodded, letting go of his hand and hitting the backside of her dress as puffs of dirt filled the air.

“I don’t know why you’re so upset, but you can’t deal with it by creating more problems.” Allen admonished. “Although, I will tell Sir Leonhart that we need to upgrade some of our weaponry.”

“Thanks.” Riliane muttered in a small tone.

Allen thought quickly. “What if we spent our day at the coast? Tell me what’s really troubling you there.” He extended his hand again, this time as a gesture of friendship.

It was only a moment before Riliane took it. Although still unable to look at him directly, she gave a relieved smile. “I’d like that very much.” Squeezing Riliane’s hand, Allen gave a small smile of his own.  
This, he thought, was his true victory.  



	4. A Broken Gate

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The gate to Josephine's pen is broken, and the task of fixing it falls to Allen.
> 
> ✾✾✾

After he had eaten his breakfast that morning, Mariam informed Allen that the gate into Josephine’s pen was broken. After a few questions on the particulars of gate fixing, Allen made his way out to the pens hefting boards, nails, hinges, and a hammer. Instead of being in his more formal attire, he’d opted for an old white shirt, some long pants, and suspenders. The coarseness of the wood scraped against his palms threatening splinters, and the weight of the bucket made him think he’d brought too many nails.

Luckily, Josephine was still inside her pen, standing in the stables as though she didn’t have a care in the world. Allen looked at her for a moment before dropping everything he held unceremoniously with a relieved smile to examine the gate more closely. It looked as though one of the wooden boards had broken, and one of the hinges had half fallen off.

After assessing the damage, Allen bent down and began to work. As he did, he let his thoughts drift. The repair was surprisingly easier than he thought it would be, and as time passed, peaceful thoughts passed in and out of his mind.

After he’d hammered in yet another nail, Allen sat back and wiped the sweat from his brow with his sleeve and smiled at the progress he had made.

“What in the world is this racket?” Allen paused and looked behind him. He’d already known from the voice, but seeing the regally-dressed girl behind him confirmed that it was his twin sister.

“Good morning, Princess Riliane. How are you?” Allen inquired.

“Well, I wanted to go for a ride on Josephine, but it seems you’re busy.” She looked Allen over as he stood up to bow to her formally. “Beyond that, what are you even wearing? And doing?”

Allen gestured over to the gate. “Lady Mariam informed me that Josephine’s gate needed repair. It didn’t make any sense to wear formal clothes when I knew it was a dirty job, so…” He trailed off with a small shrug and smile.

“You’re supposed to wait on _me_! I’ve been looking for you!” Riliane replied with annoyance. “Go get changed! …But, wash yourself first!” Riliane waved the air in front of her face.

“Princess, the gate repair is almost done. Everything has to be the best for Josephine, doesn’t it?” Allen tried. Riliane frowned and looked towards her horse with her arms crossed. “I suppose. How long will you take to finish?”

“No more than fifteen minutes, I’m sure.” Riliane turned slightly to the side with her arms still crossed. She probably wasn’t going to leave, and Allen knew when Riliane was bored immediately upon seeing her.

Allen gazed at her for a few moments, then grinned. “Hey, Riliane, would you like to help me finish off the repairs?”

Riliane whirled to face him with her eyes wide. “Allen… that’s servants’ work. What in the world would make you think it’s remotely appropriate to ask me get to get my hands filthy with work like that?” Allen stared back. Her tone was even and calm, which to Allen, was somehow more unsettling than if she had chosen to yell at him instead.

He quickly tried to salvage the situation. “Riliane, it might be more fun than you think! I’ll help you! And you’d be helping Josephine, too. I’ll take care of anything that could be dirty. It’s better than just standing there, right?”

Riliane gave a long but quiet sigh. Allen waited for a few long moments before she looked down at the ground and let her shoulders droop a bit. “I suppose so.” She strode over to him as he kneeled down next to the gate. “What am I supposed to do?”

“Would you like to hammer in one of the nails?” He asked.

“Show me.” She commanded. Allen picked up one of the nails he kept in the bucket and positioned it precisely on the wood. Holding it carefully with his fingers, he picked up the hammer and gave the head of the nail a few hard pounds. He was cut off with a shout of annoyance from Riliane. He looked over to find her covering her ears.

“What’s wrong?” Allen asked.

“That’s so loud!” She complained.

Allen laughed. “Of course it is! Haven’t you heard Chartette’s father work at his forge before?”

“Who _hasn’t_?” Riliane responded with exasperation.

“Come down here and try to ignore the noise. You just have to keep hitting it with the hammer, like I did. On the flat part.” He pointed at the nail’s head.

Riliane knelt down and examined the nail carefully. Allen put his hands around hers to steady the nail and the hammer. Riliane pulled the hammer back and gave the nail a few light taps.

Allen laughed. “It’s not going to work like that! You have to hit it harder.” Riliane looked at him with confusion. Holding her hands warmly but firmly, he pulled her hand back and hit the nail with force.

Riliane jumped, and Allen paused. Once she had gotten over the shock, she readied herself again and Allen continued to help her pound the nail in.

In spite of the very little effort that it took, after three more nails, strands of Riliane’s bangs were falling out of her black flower clips, and her breathing became heavier. “I’m too tired now. I’m done.”

Allen gently released her hands, and Riliane began to re-do her hair. “Did you have fun?” Allen asked, grinning at her.

“More than I expected, I suppose.” She replied. She was looking at the repairs she had made with high satisfaction. “It is still below my station, though.” She added quickly.

“Well, I’ll finish up in just a moment, Princess. Would you still like to take Josephine out afterwards?” He paused. “After I wash and change, of course.”

“Perhaps. Would you like to ride alongside me?” Allen raised an eyebrow at the uncharacteristic offer.

“Princess, you know I don’t know how to ride a horse.” He smiled.

“Don’t lie to me.” She murmured only loud enough for Allen to hear before clearing her throat. “You may walk alongside me, then.”

“Of course, Princess.” Allen smiled, as he turned back to finish. Riliane leaned against the fence nearby. Although no more words were spoken, the air between the two of them was serene. Allen hummed happily as he finished his task.


	5. Seashells

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sadness over a seashell turns into a romp at the beach.
> 
> ✾✾✾

“Princess Riliane?” Allen knocked lightly on his twin’s door. She had been absent for most of the day, but thankfully, it seemed she hadn’t run off. Rumour around the castle was that she had confined herself to her room.

Allen waited for a response, but there was none. Again, he knocked. “Princess Riliane, are you there?” His voice raised enough to penetrate the wood, but stayed soft enough to be considerate.

After a moment, Allen heard what sounded like an invitation to enter mumbled from the other side of the door. He carefully turned the handle and peeked in. Riliane was kneeling on her bed in her nightgown with her hair unkempt and falling loosely around her shoulders. Her nightwear seemed to have slipped slightly off her shoulder, and she’d never bothered to fix it. Allen quickly averted his gaze to the bed itself, where numerous trinkets were scattered about.

“What’s bothering you?” He entered quietly and closed the door behind him. After a few courteous steps towards her, the objects on the bed became clearer. They were all things Prince Kyle had given her over the years, but what she was staring at most was a necklace with a small seashell pendant as the centerpiece.

Riliane didn’t bother to put up a front. “Kyle rarely comes to visit or even write me… he’s given me these things as promises, but they seem so empty. I’ve written him plenty, but I’ve gotten nothing in return.”

Allen walked over to her and fixed her nightgown with one hand, keeping his eyes locked on the trinket. “That pendant is very beautiful. I don’t think he’d give it to just anybody.”

“The entire country of Marlon is surrounded by coast. I doubt it’d be difficult to find a seashell and make one of these.” Riliane gripped the necklace so tightly that it threatened to crack under the pressure. Allen quickly reached out and gently wrested the piece of jewelry from her grasp.

“We have a beach, too. Why don’t you get dressed, and we’ll look for seashells together there?” Allen smiled, but Riliane shook her head.

“I don’t feel like it.” She mumbled.

“Please, Riliane. You can’t just… stay in your room like this all day.”

“Who would stop me?” She challenged through the lethargy in her voice.

“I would.” Allen replied. “Come on, I’ll wait for you on the other side of the secret passage.” He put his hand on Riliane’s head. At first, there was no response, but then he felt his hand bob from a small nod. With that, Allen silently left through the passageway that they had used since they were children and waited dutifully on the other side.

Riliane took so long that Allen was about to return, but the princess made her appearance just in time. She’d done the minimum to go out – a simple white gown, some flat shoes, and her hair tied up in a big, white ribbon. “I feel overdressed.” Allen chuckled.

“Come on, let’s go.” Despite her earlier reluctance, it was Riliane who took Allen’s hand and lead him towards the coast proper. As usual, nobody was there. Riliane stood for a moment and closed her eyes, letting the salty breeze engulf her.

Allen hummed as he took off his coat and folded it neatly. As Riliane continued to stand there, after a moment of pause, he also removed his shoes and socks. With a childlike laugh that no-one had heard in a long time, he ran through the sand and didn’t stop until he was deep enough in the water that the ebb and flow of the ocean constantly covered his feet.

“What are you doing?” Riliane cocked her eyebrow.

“It’s fun, try it!” Allen encouraged.

“It looks messy. How would you even get the sand off your feet?”

“Let me worry about that.” He beckoned to her. “Come on!”

Riliane slowly removed her shoes and walked towards the water. As soon as the ocean touched her toes, she jumped back. “It’s so cold!”

This time, Allen grabbed her hand as he pulled her further. Riliane shrieked in response and kicked water at him. Allen continued to laugh, holding one arm up for cover as droplets soaked his shirt and pants. In return, Allen kicked water back at her with a much lower aim. Riliane shouted as a small wave unexpectedly hit her calves.

Soon, they were in an all-out war, with both Allen and Riliane kicking water at each other and using their hands to scoop and throw handfuls of the ocean. It didn’t take Riliane long to start laughing. Allen even wondered if she’d momentarily forgotten the difference between them that they were supposed to play, or her own perception of how a princess should act.

After splashing each other for some time, Riliane let forth one last big scoop of water that hit Allen in the face, causing him to sputter. “I win!” She declared.

“Of course you do.”

“Thanks, Alexiel! I feel a lot better now!” Riliane gave him a carefree grin before plopping down on the sand. She paused for a moment before pushing herself away. “Ouch!”

Allen rushed over. “What is it? A rock?” He scooped the sand from where she had been and promptly sat next to her. His hands shook to let the sand drain from his palms until what remained was a seashell, much like the one on the necklace Kyle had given to Riliane, cracked in half.

“Would you look at that?” Allen asked. “You found a seashell!”

Riliane gave it a lost look, but Allen took her hand and pressed one of the broken halves into her palm. “You take this half.” Allen closed his hand on the other piece. “And, I’ll take this half. It’ll be proof of how much fun we had today.”

Riliane gazed at her half of the broken shell as a soft smile overtook her face. “How valuable for something that’s broken.” She murmured. “I’ll find a nice place to put it.”

“Remember to keep it a secret.” Allen smiled, lifting his index finger to his lips.

“I’m not keeping the memory of such a wonderful day a secret.” Riliane replied, grasping the shell firmly in her hand.

Allen found himself secretly glad. “Find the best place for it, then.”

“Why would I not?” After a moment of silence, Riliane gently pulled her brother into a hug. “Thanks for today.”

Despite Allen’s surprise, he returned the gesture. “I just want to see you smile.”


	6. A Gust of Wind

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A very windy day in Lucifenia leads Allen on a chase.
> 
> ✾✾✾

Allen noted that Lucifenia was much windier than normal today. Everyone’s hair was being tousled out of place, he had seen papers blow out of windows, and overheard bits of conversation he normally wouldn’t have been able to hear. Even the orange ribbon that tied back his hair had been whipping mercilessly into his face.

He had paused to gaze at the sky when he suddenly heard a yell behind him. Allen turned quickly to see Riliane with her hair down, reaching and calling out to something. He looked to where her hands were grasping to see the yellow ribbon that she normally wore in her hair being carried away.

“Allen!” She called out in distress. Without needing anything else, Allen quickly took off after the beautiful speck of yellow dancing in the air. Sometimes the wind would die down and he’d jump up in an attempt to grab it, and his fingertips brushed it once. However, the wind always managed to take it back.

Riliane was following behind him at a slower pace. Her hands pushed down on her dress constantly as the wind tried to twist the fabric, and as a result, it was even harder than normal to run in her fine clothes. Allen looked back occasionally to check on her, but his eyes stayed glued to the sky.

The chase brought Allen across the courtyard as the wind ebbed and flowed, bringing up his hopes and then dashing them all at once. Riliane seemed to have given up on getting her accessory on her own, and instead relied on the more mobile and athletic Allen to get it for her.

As the wind died down a bit more, Allen gave a determined look and leapt at it with his hand outstretched. Mid-jump, he tangled his fingers in the frills, and then finally grasped it between his fingers before falling. He held his prize firmly in his hands to keep any speck of dirt from marring how pristine it was as he rolled along the ground.

When he came to a stop, Allen was dirty, but unhurt. He lie in a daze for a moment, staring at the ground, then quickly shook his head and opened his hand. The ribbon was all right. He let out a sigh and a smile.

“Allen!” Riliane’s voice was farther off than he’d expected, but she sounded like she was closing the distance between them as best she could. Allen stood up in an instant. He regretted it a bit as the world swam in front of him, and his feet shuffled a bit to prevent another meeting with the earth below him. When his vision had cleared, he saw Riliane nearing him. Before he knew what was happening, Riliane had embraced both of his shoulders tightly as another large gust of wind further tangled her hair.

“Allen! Are you okay?” She leaned in a little bit to examine him. Allen suddenly felt self-conscious as he realized that there were specks of dirt on his face and in his hair. Using the hand that wasn’t holding the ribbon, he quickly and sloppily wiped at his face with the sleeve of his nice coat. When he pulled his arm away, he was wearing a lopsided grin.

“I’m just fine, Princess, see? You were chasing after this, right?” He opened his hand without thinking. Another gust of wind almost dashed his efforts, but Riliane’s hands quickly clamped around his.

Allen’s neck snapped up to look at Riliane. Words kept forming on her lips: words of complaint, words of admonishment, words of anxiety… but it seemed that as soon as she knew what she wanted to say, it wasn’t right, and her sentiments were lost with the next harsh wind that passed.

Allen was the first to break the silence. “Why don’t we go back inside?” He suggested. “Let’s fix your hair, and put this in properly.”

Riliane’s cheeks puffed up. “I refuse to voluntarily be seen like this. Look at me! I look like a… an unkempt peasant!” Allen held back a laugh – anyone who went outside looked just like she did today.

“Would you like me to tie it back in your hair before we go inside, then?” He offered. Riliane gripped his hand a bit more tightly, then let go. “Fine. You seem to do a good job of it yourself every day, don’t you?”

Allen laughed as Riliane turned around. “Well, my own ribbon hasn’t come out this whole time, has it?” He pointed out, gathering Riliane’s hair into a ponytail. Her hair was knotted from the wind and rough to the touch.

Riliane silently let Allen tie the bow, and soon, he was finished. “It’s not as perfect as you may do it, but I think it will be acceptable until we get inside.” He gave a satisfied nod with a final tug on the knot. As soon as he let go, the ribbon was pulled harshly, but stayed put.

“I wish I had a mirror to look at.” Riliane felt the back of her head carefully.

“Well, look at me. I’m practically your mirror image. Just imagine me in your bow!” Allen replied, stepping in front of Riliane and holding his hands out.

Riliane clasped her hands together near her cheeks with delight. “Like the day that you first came back to the palace, yes! That was so much fun, we should do it again!” Riliane laughed playfully. Allen deflated. Getting chased and dressed up in his sister’s clothes was an experience he’d have preferred not to repeat.

“Let’s just walk back to the palace.” Allen cut in quickly with his hand extended.

Riliane took his hand. “Oh, don’t think I’ll forget! You have until I get ready to find a good place to hide. If you can stay hidden until supper, then you win!”

As Riliane laughed delightedly next to him, Allen groaned internally. He knew the palace better now, but where would be the best place to hide? Or with whom? Elluka would probably sell him out, so maybe he could talk to Leonhart… As his mind raced with ideas, he lead Riliane along by the hand.

Occasionally, he’d glance over to see her still smiling. Unconsciously, he gave her hand a little squeeze, swearing to keep that smile on her face for as long as he could.


	7. A Shared Meal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Allen brings two servings of dinner to Riliane. But why would she want two?
> 
> ✾✾✾

Riliane had requested to have dinner in her room today, and while it was uncommon, it wasn’t particularly unusual. She had also asked Allen to bring it to her, which was quite common. What was strange, though, was that Riliane had asked for two servings. Allen looked down at the food he was carrying to her, arranged neatly on a tray. Riliane had a healthy appetite, but he’d never seen her eat enough for two people.

“Princess Riliane, I have your dinner.” Allen held the tray against himself and used his free hand to knock on her door.

“You may enter.” Riliane replied from within. Her voice mystified Allen even more. She didn’t sound upset, angry, or sad. She sounded normal, almost excited. Holding the tray closer to himself, Allen opened the door. What greeted him was his sister in her full regalia, sitting in one of the chairs at a small table in her room.

Allen took a moment to compose himself before he took a step forward. Riliane cut in. “Close the door behind you, won’t you?” Allen raised an eyebrow, but did as he was told, and gently shut her door. He then proceeded to the small table Riliane sat at and began setting out one of the meals, detailing for her what the cook had made that day.

“Where shall I set the second plate?” Allen asked. “On the opposite side, obviously. That’s the only other place there’s a chair.” Allen nodded and began to set the food out silently. Riliane stared at him intently, not touching the meal in front of her.

“May I ask who is dining with you today?” Allen’s curiosity got the best of him as he set down a final fork.

“You are.” Riliane replied.

Allen paused as his brain attempted to process those two simple words. “I am…? Why?” He asked in confusion.

Riliane sighed and leaned back slightly in her chair, closing her eyes. “I’m sure you eat well enough, but we always have to keep up this… this façade. You are my servant, I am the princess… I mean, it’s not difficult to act the part.” Allen winced in disappointment. “However, once in a while, I’d like to have a meal with my brother, not my servant. So, this place setting is yours.” She gestured. “Sit.”

“O…okay.” Allen flattened out his jacket and sat down across from her, still looking awkward as Riliane examined him intently.

“I suppose your clothing will do.” She finally gave a satisfactory nod. Instinctively, Allen poured drinks for them both. Allen secretly wondered if she felt as awkward as he did, and she was just hiding it better.

Riliane picked up her utensils, and soon after, Allen did the same.

“Don’t you ever wish you could be known to the public as Prince Alexiel? I’m sure you’ve found your station in life unfair before.” Riliane started the conversation.

“It’s but my position. Besides, I’d rather this than that ugly conflict when we were young.” Allen’s eyes darkened as he looked down at his meal, remembering all the trouble that had followed the fight over which of the twins was the true heir.

Riliane sensed the mood and quickly changed the subject. “I bet you get to hear a lot of gossip, though! What have the servants been up to?” She tried a light smile, leaning forward.

Allen couldn’t help a slight laugh at her effort. “I doubt it’s exciting as you think. We mostly complain about work… sometimes we shift schedules around. Things like that.”

Riliane waved her hand as they continued their meal. “I’m tired of this servant talk. Alexiel, were you king, who would be your queen?” Her eyes sparkled with glee.

Allen answered without missing a beat. “Kyle.”

The food that Riliane was about to bite off her fork was unceremoniously sputtered on. “What are you talking about?” She demanded. “You can’t… Kyle isn’t even… Alexiel, are you…?”

Allen laughed loudly, causing Riliane to puff up her cheeks. “I was kidding, obviously! You should have seen the look on your face!” He continued to laugh lightly to himself.

“Get on with it!” Riliane huffed.

“I don’t know! In all honesty, it would probably be arranged, anyway. Maybe even to a Marlon princess. Who knows? Maybe I’d just be single for the rest of my life. I wonder how many girls would want my hand?” He grinned impishly.

“You degenerate!” Riliane accused. “You really haven’t ever been in love, have you? Once you find someone, you want to stay with them forever! They’re your everything.” She sighed dreamily.

“Like the women in the books on the bottom shelf of your bookcase?” Allen asked, his grin widening.

“Don’t go through my things!” Riliane’s hands hit the table.

“I can’t help what needs cleaning.” Allen smiled, wagging a finger.

“Stay out of my stuff!” Riliane sounded like a child.

“Only if you stay out of mine!” Allen returned.

“I don’t even know where your stuff _is_!” Riliane replied in exasperation. “This isn’t fair!”

The two bantered like this through their meal and dessert. Allen really did feel like an equal; somehow, Riliane had managed to talk to him like she talked to her friends. Rather, he was sure they were speaking as brother and sister.

At the end of the meal, Allen wiped his mouth carefully with a napkin and got up. “I’m afraid I have to switch roles again.” He said, beginning to collect the empty plates.

Riliane reached out a hand to stop him. “You can’t. I’m having too much fun.”

“I still have some chores to do. Besides, we can’t keep these dishes in your room.”

Riliane pouted for a moment, and Allen turned away to arrange the dirty dishware on the platter.

“Allen.” Riliane spoke commandingly. Allen quickly turned around and put one hand over his chest.

“I command you to come back when you’re finished. Let us continue this for just a bit more, until we have to go to bed.”

Allen thought for a moment. Nothing he had to do seemed as though it would get in the way of her order. “As you wish, then.” He smiled.

“Good. I’ll be waiting.”

As Allen cleaned up the last of the dishware, he smiled. “So will I.”


	8. No One Knows

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Allen has a secret that nobody knows about... he likes singing. Unfortunately, it doesn't stay a secret for much longer.
> 
> ✾✾✾

Allen glanced around while holding one of his cleaning rags, ready to dust some of the fine pottery and other delicate items around the palace. He chose to start somewhere near Riliane’s room; he was sure that Riliane had a meeting now, and nobody else was in this area.

Content that he was correct, Allen started singing to himself. He practiced singing to himself all the time, but he kept it secret. He’d started with folk songs that were well-known around Lucifenia, and went on to making up his own songs. At this point, he was quite a good singer, but a part of him was too embarrassed to sing in front of everyone else. That part of him was just strong enough to keep him from singing even in front of Riliane.

Allen took in a deep breath and opened his mouth. After a few tentative notes, he began to sing quietly, though his voice had natural projection. He smiled as he held onto the porcelain and gently dusted it.

“Leave it to me, I’m a superhero, I won’t forgive your petty crimes…” He quickly forgot the world around him. He didn’t even hear light footsteps come up behind him.

“What are you doing?” Allen jumped and grabbed the vase, barely preventing it from crashing to the ground. He looked up with wide eyes to see his sister, Riliane, looking at him with a bemused expression.

“Nothing! I mean… not nothing! I’m just cleaning, Princess!” Allen stumbled over his words. He used his hand to ensure the vase was steady, then bowed deeply. Riliane passed him and brushed her fingertips along the porcelain.

“It’s not the cleaning I was asking about, Allen. Were you… singing?” Riliane asked. “Somewhat decently, might I add.” She mused. “I haven’t heard you sing before, though. Why not?” The princess put her hands on her hips.

Allen was silent for a moment as he contemplated how to respond, keeping his head bowed. He started as Riliane spoke up again. “Answer my question.”

Allen nodded and lifted his head just a little bit, although he still wasn’t looking directly at her. “I don’t like to sing in front of people.” He mumbled. “I like to sing when I’m alone to pass the time.” He let his head lower again.

“Who else knows that you sing?” Riliane leaned her face in towards Allen.

“… Nobody.”

Riliane snorted. “Not even Leonhart? Or Germaine? Or Chartette?” She pressed. Allen shook his head at each name.

“You shouldn’t be so embarrassed. I know! We’ll have a grand ball, and you can sing as the main event—”

Allen’s head snapped up. “No!” Riliane stared at him in surprise. “I— I mean… please don’t.” Allen quickly corrected himself. “I don’t want to sing in front of so many people.”

“It’ll be wonderful, Allen! Come, we can invite just a few foreign dignitaries if that would be easier.”

“Please, don’t.” Allen begged as he reached out for Riliane’s hand. Riliane looked at him in surprise as he held one of her hands in both of his. “Please, just… don’t.”

Riliane was silent for a moment before turning around and walking towards her room. She didn’t seem to be tugging her hand away, so Allen followed her. Riliane shook his hand off once she entered her room and left him to sit on her bed. “Go ahead and close the door.”

Allen nodded and swallowed hard as the door clicked. “Am I in trouble?” He laughed weakly, expecting Riliane’s wrath to rain down upon him.

“Sing me the song you were singing before.” She commanded. Allen stared at her in surprise.

“Why…?” He asked.

“Just do it.” She replied, impatience beginning to tinge her voice. Allen quickly straightened his posture and took in a deep breath, closing his eyes.

“When I was young, I admired that invincible red-caped man…” He began tentatively. He thought of the red-armoured Leonhart and pushed on. “In these immoral times, a hero like that is just what we need…”

He paused and slightly opened his eyes to look at Riliane. She was looking at him with high curiosity. He closed his eyes and continued.

“One, doing trash collecting. Two, saving lost kittens. Three, stopping bullies. Four, punishing thieves. Now, just like he did, I shall administer justice…” Allen lifted his chin a bit.

“Leave it to me, I’m a superhero. I won’t forgive your petty crimes—” He was cut off as Riliane burst out laughing, laying back in her bed. Allen immediately stopped singing and felt his face burn.

“I didn’t think I was singing that badly.” Allen muttered, looking to the side. “This is why I shouldn’t—”

Riliane cut him off again with a wave of her hand. “Not that! It’s the lyrics! What song is that, even?” She grinned, sitting up and wiping a tear from her eye. “It’s so silly!”

“Just one I came up with one day while training with Sir Leonhart.” Allen murmured. “And I trained so long that I forgot my chore list, and the castle was so dirty I had to clean well past eleven…” He trailed off.

“I like it!” Riliane laughed. “It’s funny!”

“Do you want to hear the end of the verse I was singing?” Allen asked, his eyes lighting up.

“Yes!” Riliane replied, clasping her hands in delight.

Allen cleared his throat. “I won’t forgive your petty crimes. After fighting a thousand deadly battles, I arrived at this conclusion… the real evil… is in the government!”

“What do you mean by that?!” Riliane stood up with a huff and stalked towards Allen as he laughed. She took one hand and shoved his shoulder to the wall. “Are you trying to imply something?”

“Not at all, Princess! If I was able, I would be part of the government, too, you know!” He reached his arm out towards her and pulled her into a gentle hug.

“That doesn’t excuse anything. That could be considered treason.” Riliane huffed, despite allowing the hug.

“I won’t commit treason again if you promise me just one thing.” Allen smiled.

“What?” Riliane murmured.

“My singing? No one else knows, okay?”

Riliane was silent for a few moments, then gave a small nod. “Okay.” Allen gave her a gentle squeeze with relief on his face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>   
>  ✾✾✾  
> 
> 
> The song used in this chapter is ["Super Hero" by Nem](http://www.nicovideo.jp/watch/sm17437298). The English translation is by vgperson and taken from [the Vocaloid Lyrics wiki](http://vocaloidlyrics.wikia.com/wiki/%E3%82%B9%E3%83%BC%E3%83%91%E3%83%BC%E3%83%92%E3%83%BC%E3%83%AD%E3%83%BC_\(Super_Hero\)). 


	9. Storm Clouds

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A storm is incoming. Not just from nature, but also from Riliane.
> 
> ✾✾✾

That morning, Mariam had told Allen that the fountain was getting dirty, and had assigned him to clean it. As always, Allen took the chore and dressed lightly, scrubbing at the imperfections on the stone. The task took a little bit of strength, but he had never minded.

Today was a bit different. The sky was overcast, and while wind would whip through the air, the atmosphere was hot and muggy. Sweat constantly dripped down Allen’s face and caught in his bangs, and he’d removed his vest and rolled up his sleeves as far as he could for the tiny bit of relief that was provided.

His savior came in the form of a deep rumble from the clouds above him. Allen looked upward and stared. One of the clouds lit up and another rumble followed. Allen quickly put his vest back on and pulled down his sleeves before grabbing his cloth and heading into the castle.

“Allen?” He heard a voice to his right. He turned towards it and nodded.

“Lady Mariam.” He replied dutifully.

“How is the fountain?”

“I got part of it done, but it looks like it’s going to rain soon.”

Mariam nodded. “Clean yourself up and see if the princess needs anything.”

Allen headed towards the servants’ quarters, rubbed his face with water, and changed his shirt. He knew that he should technically wear his more proper pieces of attire, but on thinking how much hotter he’d be, he decided to chance Riliane’s reaction.

Allen found Riliane near a large window by her balcony, fanning herself and staring absentmindedly at the sky. As usual, he put one hand over his chest and bowed. “Good afternoon, Princess.”

Riliane paused and turned to look at him. “Allen.” She acknowledged.

Allen lifted his head slightly with a polite smile. “Have you been well?”

“You’re dressed quite casually for coming to meet me, aren’t you?”

Allen’s lips pressed into a thin line and he kept quiet. He knew she’d comment on how he was dressed, but how she’d react could go one of two ways. Based on her tone, it wasn’t the outcome he’d favored.

Riliane strode towards him, pushing his chin up with one of her fingers. Allen quickly averted his gaze. Many others in the palace had been shorter than usual today, likely due to the heat, but Riliane had a temper regardless.

“You should know that if you’re ever going to present yourself to me, you have a uniform to wear. What is this? And those?” She used her fan to point at pieces of his clothing. “Even your hair looks disgusting!” Riliane’s voice rose, and Allen tried to ignore her barbs.

“Did you forget your position, or did someone tell you that this was all right?” Now, she was shouting. “Did you forget your training? Are you dull?” She closed her fan and gave him a sharp whack on the side of the head. Allen didn’t even wince. “Explain yourself!”

During her tirade, large droplets of water had begun to hit the window behind them. “Forgive me.” Allen murmured automatically.

“Give me a good reason!” Riliane shouted. Just before lowering his head again, he saw a bolt of lightning. There was one more way the sky could save him today, and he prayed for it.

“Answer me!” Allen waited tensely. Suddenly, the sky answered his prayers. An extraordinarily loud thunderclap resounded. It was the type that would make anyone jump, usually only heard during the worst storms. It resounded throughout the room with the sort of loud crack that resembled an explosion directly above them.

Riliane’s breath caught in her throat and she froze. While she was stunned, Allen quickly walked past her to the window and looked outside. Thick droplets of water pounded against the window as the clouds, almost black, seemed to summon a wind that was pulling at everything in the vicinity.

“What caused _that_?” Allen heard behind him. Riliane seemed to have recovered.

“The storm, Princess.” He replied shortly.

“I know that!” She strode up behind him and Allen tensed, but nothing happened.

Silence hung for a bit before Allen pointed upwards. “Look at how thick the rain is. Storms like this don’t come very often.”

“I suppose.” Riliane sighed behind him. Allen could almost sense her incoming change in tone. “Allen, what _are_ thunder and lightning?”

“Components of strong storms. Thunder makes a loud noise, while lightning makes a bright light. It has been known to hit the ground and cause fires.” He answered icily.

There was an awkward moment of silence. Well, perhaps it was awkward for Riliane. Allen was too upset at her previous behavior to care.

“I mean… what causes them?” She asked.

Allen sighed internally. “I don’t know. I’ve heard older people say that the Gods and demons are fighting. Perhaps the sun is battling for dominance with the moon. Nobody knows for sure.”

Riliane stepped next to Allen, who continued to look at the sky.

“…Maybe I overreacted.” She finally said. Allen stayed quiet. “I mean… you _should_ dress your best, but it was quite hot today.” Allen’s silence continued. “And, your hair isn’t disgusting. Just out of place.”

Allen sighed audibly, knowing this was the closest thing to an apology he’d get from his sister. He turned to face Riliane who was focused on her fan. “Riliane.” She looked up at him. “Your temper is like the storm outside. It comes quickly and violently, and then subsides, leaving damage in its wake. And since it’s coming from a power nobody can control, nobody can do anything about it.” She seemed to be listening, so Allen continued. “Everyone has been short with each other today. However, if you continue to bring violent storms, something might get damaged that you cannot repair.”

Riliane looked startled for just a moment before she averted her eyes. Now that he’d truly overstepped his bounds, the only way to finish was to extend an olive branch.

“Would you like to watch the storm together? I can bring some snacks.”

Riliane looked up at him. “That would be wonderful.”

Allen smiled as he felt his own terseness subside. “Tell me what you think thunder and lightning are when I return.” Riliane gave a quick nod, and Allen turned to leave in considerably better spirits. He felt Riliane’s eyes on his back as he left, so he turned to give her a quick, friendly smile. Riliane returned it with relief.


	10. Bells

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The bells of the church have rung three times, signaling... three o'clock in the morning.
> 
> ✾✾✾

The bells of the Levin church rung out three times. For Allen, that would usually mean that it was time to bring his sister her afternoon snack. This time, however, bells didn’t signify three in the afternoon. Allen winced as he realized that it was three o’clock in the morning, and he was still wide awake for a reason that he couldn’t grasp. After tossing and turning in his bed for far too long, he had finally left and gone to the church to think and reflect. Restlessness didn’t change the fact that he had to work, and knowledge of the impending exhaustion only made him want to stay longer. However, practically speaking, that wasn’t possible.

Allen whispered a short prayer before standing and turning to leave, pushing the slightly heavy doors of the church to the outside, and slipping into the night. The air was pleasantly cool, and the sounds of a few bugs greeted him. Allen turned his head upward to see myriads of stars surrounding the bright moon. He temporarily considered taking some time to stargaze, but that, too, was impractical.

By the light of the moon, he walked back to the palace and quietly entered. Everybody was sure to be asleep by now. All he had to do was make his way back to the servants’ quarters and he was home free—

“Allen?” A sleepy voice behind him asked. Allen started and quickly turned around to see an exhausted Riliane, still in her nightgown. She’d tried to put her hair up a little bit, but locks that escaped her ponytail hung in unkempt strands around her face.

“What are you doing up?” Allen asked in surprise.

“What about you? Why are you up?” Riliane returned.

“I couldn’t sleep. I went to the church for a little bit.” Allen replied. “I’m going to try sleeping again, perhaps.”

Riliane yawned widely, almost forgetting to cover her mouth with her hand. “I’m hungry.”

“Or, perhaps I’ll be getting you a snack first?” Allen offered. Riliane nodded as her yawn continued. “I’ll meet you in the dining hall?” Riliane nodded again as her mouth closed and she sleepily turned towards their agreed meeting place.

With a sigh tinged by a smile, Allen headed towards the kitchen. He sleepily stared for a moment, lost as to what he should make, before his hands started moving automatically to make something that he was familiar with. With a hum, he put the treat and some tea on a serving tray and made his way to the dining hall.

Riliane was there with her head back, staring listlessly at the ceiling. On hearing the door open, she looked over. Hiding the exhaustion that had begun to creep into his consciousness, Allen walked over to her with a smile and placed each item in front of her. “This morning’s snack is a shortcake with white tea.”

“Thanks, Alexiel.” She murmured, picking up her fork.

Allen’s eyes instantly widened. “Princess, please!” Adrenaline immediately overcame his senses. “Don’t call me that here. Someone else may be awake!” He whispered urgently.

“Mm. Did you make all of this yourself?” Riliane slowly enjoyed her meal.

“Who else?” Allen chuckled. “I hope it is up to your standards.”

Riliane seemed to forget each of her questions as soon as she asked them. “Sit.” She looked towards one of the nearby seats. Allen looked between her and the chair before slowly pulling it out and sitting down. His adrenaline had died down again, and he was content just to watch Riliane eat.

When the cake was mostly finished, Riliane took a piece on her fork and turned towards Allen. “Say ‘aaaah’.”

“Why?” Allen already knew the answer to his own question, but Riliane offering to share her snack with him felt strange. He certainly wouldn’t let her feed him anything, either.

“I said, say ‘aaaah’.” She repeated, pushing the fork towards him.

“Aaaah.” Allen mimicked, taking the fork from the princess’s dainty hands and accepting the bite. He didn’t get to try his own cooking very often. For how late at night it was, he was proud of himself for how the recipe had turned out. He handed the fork back to Riliane, who worked on finishing the last of the cake.

“Did you like it?” Riliane asked, looking over at him.

“I would not serve you anything that I thought was poor quality.” Allen replied dutifully, leaning his head in one of his hands.

“You say that, but how often have you actually tried what you serve me?” Riliane asked, trying to get the last of the crumbs. Allen stayed silent. What was the right answer in this case, if such a thing even existed? That he ate her food, or that he served her food he’d never tried on faith that it tasted good?

“Why? Is something wrong with the snacks I usually bring you?” He asked.

The princess shook her head. “Just wondering.” With a few big gulps, she finished her cup of tea. Silently, Allen gathered the used dishware. “Come back when you’ve put it away.” Riliane said as he was about to leave for the kitchen. He nodded.

When Allen returned from his task, Riliane was standing and rubbing at one of her eyes. “Allow me to escort you back to bed.” Allen gently took one of her arms, and Riliane made no protest as she followed his lead.

“Allen, tell Mariam when you see her that you’ll be attending to me personally for the day.”

Allen paused in mild surprise. “Of course. Is there a special occasion?”

“So that we can both get extra rest.” Riliane replied bluntly. Allen chuckled. Despite it being a somewhat selfish request, it wasn’t one that he could find himself objecting to.

“But, if I am attending to you all day, I don’t think my day will be very restful at all.” Allen joked.

“Don’t push me.” Riliane countered lethargically.

Allen gave her arm a gentle squeeze. “Well, then, thank you for your generosity.”

Riliane nodded sleepily and leaned slightly into Allen, who put an extra hand on her shoulder. “Have sweet dreams, Princess.”

“I adore sweets.” She muttered in reply. Allen returned a quiet laugh and helped Riliane back to her chambers in comfortable silence.


	11. The Third Floor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Allen is being chased by Riliane, but in his attempt to escape, accidentally corners himself on the third floor.
> 
> ✾✾✾

Allen ran as fast as he could. His heart was competing with his lungs for which would burst out of his chest first. His calves were on fire, and sweat covered his face. He rounded a corner and headed for the stairs, taking off his jacket and throwing it down a corridor before taking the steps three at a time.

“Al~len!” A sweet, light voice that sounded like his, though clearly feminine, resounded down one of the halls behind him. “You can’t run away from me forever, Allen!” She happily chirped.

Allen huffed as he cleared the first set of stairs, then, without pause, immediately started up the second set to the third floor. His sister sounded like she was thrown for a moment by his coat as her voice followed the hallway it had been thrown, but after it faded for a moment, it came back as she slowly climbed the stairs after him. “Allen, I have your coat! Don’t you want it back?”

Allen almost called out to her to respond in the negative, but quickly shut his mouth. Earlier that morning, one mention of how Riliane’s bow looked pretty had quickly lead Riliane to audibly wonder if he would look just as pretty. He hadn’t thought he was in danger at first, but she appeared to him after lunch with her hands behind her back and a big smile, saying that she was ready to make Allen look just as charming as she was.

Allen immediately recognized that she was serious and dashed. Riliane seemed surprised at first, but quickly gave chase. Luckily for Allen, she wasn’t nearly as fast as he was. Unluckily for Allen, she won in persistence and in status. He could hear her talking merrily as she ascended the stairs, but he couldn’t hear what she was saying.

After looking around quickly, Allen realized that he’d cornered himself on this section of the third floor. He dashed around a corner and opened the door to a balcony before hastily, but quietly, closing it behind him. He looked around again, and saw numerous plants growing in pots. With a grimace, he hid himself inside the foliage and crouched down.

For a little bit, he couldn’t hear Riliane at all. Hope rose in his chest that perhaps he’d shaken her, but those were quickly dashed as heard someone coming on the other side of the wall behind him.

“Allen, I know you’re in here. Why, you even left your fingerprints on the door! I know that nobody else has used it!” She sounded incredibly pleased. Allen mentally hit himself for not thinking to take his gloves out of his coat pocket.

The door opened and Riliane entered the balcony. “Ahh, the air is so nice out here! I could stand here forever and take in the air, but I need to find you, don’t I?” She hummed. From his hiding place, Allen could vaguely see her take his coat and use one of his sleeves to tie the handles together. He winced. Of course, she’d notice if he escaped now. Well, at least if he used the doors. He supposed he could make a leap to freedom, but at the very best, he’d be incapacitated for a long time.

Allen drew himself further into a ball as Riliane explored the balcony. He had loathed his first day, when Riliane had tackled him and tied her bow in his hair, then paraded him around the palace asking everybody how cute he was. Only a few people in the palace knew his true identity, but even just remembering the experience made his face burn in deep humiliation all over again. Unable to bear even the thought, he buried his face into his knees as he sat.

He listened to Riliane’s footsteps as she walked. Whenever she would get near, his shoulders would tense. Whenever she would get further away, they would relax a bit. Maybe his hiding spot was good enough, after all. That hope, too, was quickly dashed.

“I found you!” Riliane squealed in delight. “This isn’t a bad hiding spot, Allen.” Allen’s shoulders immediately slumped in defeat, unable to lift his head to look at her. Riliane didn’t seem to notice. “Now, it’s time to fulfill my morning promise!” She said with merriment.

Allen felt something touch his head. He waited for more, but that was it. He looked up to see Riliane smiling brightly at him with her hands clasped together. He reached up to feel what it was. To his surprise, it felt like a plant instead of some piece of cloth or trinket, and he slowly removed it.

Allen’s eyes widened in surprise. It was a flower crown, made of interwoven yellow and white flowers. Some parts looked a little bit clumsy, but overall, it looked like it had taken some time to make. He looked back up at Riliane, who was still smiling. “Do you like it?” She asked.

“A flower crown? Who taught you how to make one?” He asked, mystified.

“Gumillia did! Isn’t it nice? I made it just for you!” Riliane said with pride.

Allen turned it over in his hands once or twice. “It’s… very well made.” He didn’t commit to whether it was nice or cute verbally at risk of something else happening to him. It looked a little bit girly, but seeing Riliane’s pride in her creation made him not mind as much.

Allen slowly put it back on for her, then stood up. “Good job on finding me.” He finally acknowledged.

“It was worth it! Now, you have to pay me back.” Riliane’s smile grew. Before Allen could start to panic with possibilities, she continued. “You have to make me a flower crown, now. I’ll teach you how!”

“Of course.” He said with relief, walking to the door to retrieve his coat.

“I want one exactly like that one! Twin flower crowns!” She commanded.

Allen chuckled to himself. “Of course.” He repeated, this time with more humour.

As the two left the balcony to go to the garden, Allen wore the flower crown. Despite his slight embarrassment, it was a surprisingly sweet gift. That was reason enough for him to wear it with a smile.


	12. Fingertips

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> During her afternoon snack, Riliane presses her hand against Allen's, wondering whether their fingertips still touch.
> 
> ✾✾✾

The afternoon bells of the church had rung thrice, signaling the time for Riliane’s snack. Allen was already present at the princess’s usual table with food in his hands. She looked up at him with delight. “Today’s snack is brioche with a cup of Darjeeling tea.” Allen spoke warmly, setting the snacks in front of her.

“Yes, your brioche is delicious!” Riliane declared with a brilliant smile before she delicately picked up the snack and began eating. Allen stood silently near her, waiting for her verdict. “Wonderful as always!” She confirmed. The latter twin released a small breath.

“In that case, I will be on my way. Please enjoy your snack.” Allen began to turn, but his departure was interrupted by a firm hold on his wrist. “Is something the matter?” Allen’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

“Stay with me. I want to play.” Riliane replied. She used her free hand to take a light sip of her tea.

Allen chuckled. “Princess, we’re both busy. I need to dust the second-floor corridor, and you have a meeting with your ministers regarding an improvement in Lucifenia’s relationship with Beelzenia.”

“There will be plenty of other meetings to discuss that. I’m sure it’ll be fine without me.” The princess waved her hand dismissively, while Allen shook his head disapprovingly.

“What sort of impression do you think it would give if the ruler of Lucifenia didn’t show up to the first meeting on something as important as international relations?”

“If you’re so invested in it, then _you_ go to the meeting.” Riliane replied, reaching for another piece of brioche.

“Sending a servant is—all right, Princess, I’ll go.” Riliane’s face lit up. “That is, if you agree to do my chores.” Her expression immediately dropped.

“No.” She replied simply.

“Well, then, I suppose we both have to do what we originally had planned.” Allen returned. He dusted his hands, clearing himself of the entire affair. As he did, Riliane stared. Once Allen noticed, he stopped and raised an eyebrow. “Does this offend you, M’lady?”

“Hold up your hand.” She commanded. Allen raised his hand slightly with his palm down. Riliane shook her head vehemently, and Allen gave her an incomprehensibly puzzled look. “No, hold your hand so that your palm is facing me. Fingers together. As if you’re stopping someone.”

“Are you going to claim I was rude to you and try to get out of your meeting?” Allen asked wryly, doing as she commanded.

“There are better ways to do that.” Riliane replied as she examined his hand closely. Allen stared at her blankly.

“How long am I to do this?” He asked with a degree of apprehension.

“Hush.” Riliane reached out her own hand and put it against the silk gloves covering Allen’s hands so that their fingertips matched.

A look of realization came across Allen’s face. “Are you comparing our hands?” He quickly removed his glove. Riliane wordlessly pushed her hand against his again.

“I think our hands are still about the same size.” She concluded weakly.

Allen chuckled warmly. “Princess, to see if our hands are the same size, you have to put your palm at the bottom of mine, like this.” Allen reached over and used his free hand to reposition hers.

Allen couldn’t see much, but from what he felt, the tips of Riliane’s fingers stopped at his first knuckle. Her well-groomed nails extended the length a little bit, but even with that, the difference in the size of their hands was clear.

“Your hands have gotten much bigger.” Riliane murmured. “I can’t even touch your fingertips with mine anymore.”

Allen smiled gently at her. “Isn’t that a good thing? I would think that, as a lady, you would wish for dainty hands.”

“Remember when we were little and we used to hold hands?” She pressed. Allen fell silent as a mournful feeling began to take over the atmosphere. “I think they were about the same size back then.”

“It’s only natural that we’d change as we grew.” It was the only thing Allen could think to reply. Riliane gave him a doleful look in return. “Besides, I think my hands on your body would displease you.” He tried a small laugh.

“Perhaps you should have stopped growing and had hands like mine, then.” Riliane moved her hand up to touch his fingertips, pausing before she returned to touching her palm with his.

Allen quickly shook his head. “No way. I’m a man. I don’t want small, feminine hands. They’re all yours.” He tried to lighten the mood, but each attempt was met with silence. “Why are you suddenly so worried about our hands?”

Riliane shook her head, refusing to answer. Allen held in a sigh. Some days, he could coax a reason out of her, but her expression showed that it wasn’t possible at this moment. After a pause, Allen closed his hand around his sister’s. Riliane blinked in surprise.

“It doesn’t matter whether we can touch our fingertips together.” He pressed. “I’m close enough that I can always hold your hand, right? The size of our hands doesn’t matter. It doesn’t have to mean that we’re growing apart. We’re just growing differently, side by side. I’m never out of reach.” Allen spoke calmly and comfortingly, though he was really just hazarding a guess at what was bothering her.

Riliane looked up at Allen with sincerity, and he squeezed her hand gently in response.

“So, even if we’re different, you’ll always be there to take my hand should I require it?” Riliane repeated back. Allen gave her a strong, sure smile.

“Of course.” It seemed his guess was at least partially correct.

“Tonight, hold my hand until I fall asleep.” Although it was meant to be an order, her tone made her command sound more like a request.

“As you wish.”

This time, Riliane was the one to squeeze Allen’s hand. She gently untangled her fingers from his to finish her meal. Allen put his glove back on, silently reaffirming his vow to, no matter the circumstance, protect her with his own two hands.


	13. The Cosmos

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Riliane and Allen take a night together to go stargazing, and muse over the wonders of the sky.
> 
> ✾✾✾  
> 

Even though dinner had just ended, it was already dark outside. As the seasons changed, the sun went down earlier and earlier. While Allen appreciated the sun, there were some advantages to early nights. Tonight, he and Riliane had secretly decided to go stargazing at the coast after Allen had finished his chores for the evening.

As he worked, it took everything Allen had not to rush his duties. Getting reprimanded for a spotty job, especially when he considered himself to be a model servant, would be an arrow to his pride. The excitement over the invitation from his older sister overcame him many times, though, and threatened the quality of his work.

Once he’d finished, Allen quickly made his way to Riliane’s room and waited a polite distance outside her door with his arms behind his back. The princess had said that _she_ would come to get _him_ , after all. Allen swallowed down the giddiness that arose in his throat to maintain the appearance of composure on the outside.

“Al~len!” A bright, cheery voice brought a smile to the younger twin’s face, and he turned to see Riliane coming towards him, carrying a closed, woven basket.

“Princess Riliane.” Allen returned warmly with a bow. “I hope the evening finds you well.”

“Of course! Here.” The basket was quickly dumped into Allen’s hands, which he managed to catch despite his surprise. It wasn’t particularly heavy, but it wasn’t like Riliane to carry things like this on her own; on some level, he should have seen this coming.

“What is this?” Allen asked with a light laugh.

“Snacks from Mariam. Let’s go!” Riliane took Allen’s free hand and began to pull him behind her.

The two quietly took the secret passage in Riliane’s room to the beach, Riliane holding Allen’s hand the whole way. Once they’d made their way onto the sandy shore, Riliane gave Allen an expectant look. After a pause, Allen started and opened the basket. Inside was a folded cloth, a bottle filled with water, and some wrapped snacks. When Allen opened them up, he found brioche, and couldn’t help a smile. He carefully straightened the cloth out on the sand, set out the brioche, and offered her the water. “Please, sit.” He smiled, gesturing.

Riliane pushed her dress forward before sitting down carefully. After taking the water and some of her snack, Riliane looked upward. “There are so many stars!” She commented in wonder, almost forgetting to eat what was in her hand.

Allen smiled and turned his head upwards, as well. It was a new moon, and the only things visible in the sky were an uncountable number of tiny white lights.

“Allen, I want some of the stars.” Riliane said after a moment of silence.

Allen laughed gently. “What would you do with the stars were you to have them?” He asked.

“Maybe make a necklace or a bracelet out of them.” Riliane murmured. “They’d be like diamonds, but prettier, I think.”

“Don’t you think that they should be available for everyone to look at, just like us?” Allen pushed. At Riliane’s shrug, Allen continued. “When I’ve gone to Elphegort, the stars have been the same. It would be taking stars from other countries, as well. I sense an international incident.” He chuckled in good humour.

“How can you tell that they’re the same?” Riliane asked with wide eyes. Allen’s eyes lit up, eager to explain.

“Look, up there.” He pointed, and Riliane’s eyes followed his index finger. “Some of the stars look like pictures. If you connect those four bright stars…” He pointed at each one, “And add those faint stars in-between, it kind of looks like one of the wings of the Lucifenian crest, doesn’t it?” He asked.

Riliane stared for a long moment, before giving a slow nod. “Yes. I can see where you could get that.”

“I’ve seen that same set of stars in Elphegort. So, we’re looking at the same set of stars.”

Riliane turned to Allen with excitement. “Do you think Kyle is looking at the same set of stars right now?” She pushed, leaning towards Allen a little bit.

Allen laughed. “If he is awake and looking at the sky, it’s possible. I haven’t been to Marlon before to check.”

Riliane looked back at the sky with a satisfied look. Allen looked at his sister’s profile for a moment longer before turning back to the sky, just in time to see a bright light streak across the night.

“Was that shooting star?!” Riliane asked in excitement, turning to Allen with a wide smile.

“Yes, it had to have been!” Allen replied with equal enthusiasm. “When was the last time we saw one? When we were children?” He asked, staring at the spot where the shooting star had been with intensity.

“Why do some stars fall from the sky?” Riliane asked, turning towards Allen with strong curiosity. “Will the sky go dark someday if all of the stars fall?”

“I…don’t know.” He replied. His eyes scanned across the sky as Riliane waited for him to continue. Allen looked hard to see if there were any stars missing, but the sky still looked the same to him. “I mean…there are a lot of stars, so perhaps I’m missing it, but I don’t see anything missing from the sky.” He finally concluded.

Riliane looked upward. “What if it’s not an actual star, but it’s magic?” She asked with high excitement. “We should ask Elluka!” She again turned towards Allen, which elicited another laugh from the boy.

Allen thought hard for a moment before his eyes lit up, having come up with a theory of his own. “Perhaps someone made a wish, and that light is the wish being carried to them.” He offered. “Who do you think made it?” He almost immediately felt a tinge of embarrassment after asking; after all, the population of Evillious was quite big. It could have been anyone. However, Riliane quickly broke the silence.

“I did.” She replied with certainty.

Allen gave a small chuckle. “What did you wish for?” He asked.

Riliane hummed in lieu of an answer. With a warm smile, Allen turned his gaze back towards the sky, moving to gently lean on Riliane’s shoulder. He paused hesitantly to see if he would be reprimanded, but Riliane returned the gesture, leaning against his shoulder in turn.


	14. A Teacup

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Allen buys Riliane a present with something special for them to do in mind.
> 
> ✾✾✾

Allen swallowed hard, clutching a fine teacup in his hands. The handle was somewhat stylized, it was coloured white, and it was clearly of high quality. Other than that, however, it was entirely devoid of decoration.

Giving a gift to his sister wasn’t normally difficult. He gave her gifts all the time – sweets, trinkets, books… In those cases, she’d often clasp her hands with delight and take his presents. She even remembered to thank him most of the time. However, this time, he had something special in mind, and thinking about it made him clutch the cup a little bit harder.

He set off to find Riliane, but didn’t have to wait long. He spotted her down the hall walking towards him, some other destination in mind. Allen froze, and Riliane smiled. “Good afternoon, Allen.” She greeted warmly. She’d just barely passed by when Allen willed himself to speak up.

“Princess Riliane!” Riliane paused and turned around with a curious look on her face. Allen turned towards her and, with a lopsided smile, held out the teacup. “I got this for you… I know it’s plain, but I was thinking, maybe you and I could each paint something on either side…”

Riliane slowly took the cup and turned it over in her hands before a grin crossed her face. “Why, that’s a wonderful idea! I’ll have Elluka paint some spell on it so that it never runs out of tea!”

Riliane turned and dashed towards the library. After a stunned pause, Allen followed. “Wait, Princess, that wasn’t what I…” Allen trailed off. If she could even hear him, she was clearly choosing not to. Allen followed her in somewhat embarrassed silence.

As she had expected, Elluka was in the library, pouring over one of the books. “Elluka!” Riliane called triumphantly, planting her feet firmly in front of the sorceress.

Elluka raised her eyebrows and looked at Riliane before closing the book with her thumb in the page. “What is it, Princess?” She asked cordially.

“I need you to perform a spell for me!” Riliane pushed the teacup towards Elluka for her to take, but the mage did not oblige.

“What sort of spell…?” She asked with trepidation.

“I want you to paint some magic… thing that will make this cup always full of tea!”

“No.” Elluka opened her book again and resumed where she was.

“Why not? Are you not one of the most powerful sorceresses alive? Surely you can do something as simple as keep a cup of tea full!” Riliane pushed back with exasperation.

“I’m not drawing a magic circle for infinite tea.”

“You won’t do it? Or you can’t do it?” Riliane tried to aggravate Elluka’s pride, but the jab from the tiny princess wasn’t enough.

“Either.” Riliane clenched the cup tightly and turned towards Allen.

“Allen! Make her use her magic on this cup!” She commanded.

“Actually, I was thinking we could paint on it.” He quickly interjected. The idea was embarrassing; but, pitting that against trying Elluka’s patience was far more palatable.

“Oh?” Riliane tilted her head a bit. Allen sighed.

“I was thinking that we could each paint something on one side of the cup… you know, make something special. It won’t be fancy, but it could be nice.” He gently pushed.

“That’s a good idea, too. Get some paint and meet me in the parlor!” Riliane immediately turned and left. Allen gave one more glance towards Elluka, who was clearly no longer paying them any heed, and turned on his heel to make his own exit.

Once he had gathered the requisite supplies, Allen met Riliane, who was staring at the teacup. “Do you know what you wish to paint?” He asked, laying what he’d gathered neatly across a table.

“I think so. I think I’m going to paint the sun.” She answered.

“Very well. Then I shall paint the moon.”

Allen let Riliane start. Although dainty at first, her face quickly screwed up in concentration as she painted with yellows and oranges. Occasionally, she’d make noises of frustration and rapidly dip into one of the colours before furiously dabbing at certain spots with the thick paint.

“I’m finished!” Riliane finally declared, sitting back.

Allen picked up the cup by the handle and fanned the art on the other side.

“Aren’t you going to look?” Riliane asked with a tinge of annoyance.

“I was thinking we could look at each other’s at the same time when we’re done.” Allen replied before picking up his own brush and pulling the paint towards him. His palate of choice consisted of silver and grey, although some violet made its way in, as well. He worked for some time before deciding to set the brush down.

“I’m finished.” He declared.

“Finally.” Riliane replied.

“Okay… ready? Here.” Allen turned the cup around and set it down. The sun Riliane had painted was a little bit messy, and the spots where she felt like she’d messed up were evident by thicker coats of paint, whereas thinner strokes represented where she was happy with her art. She’d drawn a halo of yellow around the sun itself, and although some parts suffered from the same splotches, it still looked nice. Allen smiled. “I think you did very well. It’s a beautiful sun.”

“Aah, your moon is so nice. It’s not fair!” She complained. “And, are those stars? I should have drawn clouds.”

Allen laughed, taking this as her own display of pleasure at the result. “What are you going to do with it?” He asked as Riliane picked it up by the handle, not daring to get her hand close to the art.

“Drink out of it.” She replied simply, then paused. “But only for special occasions.”

“Such as?”

“Our birthday. And, the day I become queen. Perhaps the day you find a fitting wife.”

Allen couldn’t help a full laugh. “Am I allowed to drink out of it?” He teased.

“Maybe.” Riliane replied, turning to make her leave.

Allen paused. He hadn’t expected any affirmative answer. “It’ll stay in my room until then. Goodbye!” She waved with her free hand and left. Allen watched her retreating back.

When she was out of earshot, Allen closed his eyes for a moment and smiled. “I’m glad you liked it.” He murmured.


	15. Something Forgotten

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After accidentally knocking all of his things out of a hiding space, Allen discovers something he had forgotten for a long time.
> 
>   
> ✾✾✾  
> 

After lunch, Allen headed to his room with his month’s pay in hand. Kneeling on his bed and putting the bag of coins down gently next to him, began to carefully pull a loose brick from the wall.

He had discovered that there was a small space behind the foundation purely by chance on one of his first nights. Now, he used it to store numerous important things. Childhood trinkets, the rare gift from Riliane, his savings… there wasn’t much space, but he was able to fit everything he wanted.

With the brick completely removed and put to the side, Allen reached his arm into the hole, feeling for his coin purse. Once his fingers touched the cloth satchel, he anxiously pulled the bag out. His carelessness caused a few other things he’d stored to fall out alongside the coin purse and tumble across his knees onto the bed.

Allen let out a sigh he didn’t know he was holding when, upon looking over the mess, everything that he’d accidentally removed was undamaged. After he’d fulfilled his original goal of depositing his pay into his savings, Allen stared at the other items as he pulled the drawstring closed, wondering how he’d put everything back and avoid a repeat incident.

As Allen’s eyes wandered over his things, part of him was assessing their size and how they might fit back in the brick hole, while the other was reminiscing how he had acquired them.

There was a glass bottle he’d bought with a princess figurine inside when he was younger. He wasn’t sure if Riliane still had the princess, but he’d always held onto the bottle. That was when his father was still alive. A gentle smile made its way onto his face.

There were other odd little trinkets, such as pieces of metal that had fallen off something bigger, that Chartette had given him. The story he’d gotten from her had usually involved some incident at her father’s forge, and she thought they were neat.

There was a handkerchief with his name embroidered on it, tiny jars of sweet-smelling spices, some marbles from Leonhart… his eyes lit up in delight. Next to those were a ball and some jacks. When he’d first gone to live with Leonhart, he knew that he’d been a sullen child. On the other hand, he couldn’t fully blame himself. However, he knew he’d been extremely cold to Germaine, and try as she might, he would barely answer her.

As a gesture of friendship, Germaine had bought a ball and some jacks. At first, he’d been reluctant to play with her. However, she’d been having so much fun, he’d asked to join her. Soon enough, they were both playing, trying to beat each other’s scores. The hands of a swordsman-in-training against a swordswoman-in-training made their hands deft despite their young age, and whenever they’d play in the street, they’d draw crowds.

Allen laughed out loud. He couldn’t believe he’d even forgotten about that. Abandoning his original mission, Allen quickly but gently pushed all the trinkets except the set of jacks into his hiding spot. Now, with deep concentration, Allen scattered the jacks on the ground and stared intensely. Bouncing the ball once, he was able to deftly pick up seven of the pieces. With his prizes in hand, Allen smiled happily to himself. It had been a long time, but he hadn’t done too poorly, either.

Allen scooped the jacks and the ball back into a little pouch and quickly turned to leave his room, intending to play outside. As the sunlight touched his face, he noticed Riliane sitting in one of her usual spots, reading one of her books. Allen walked down a path somewhat close to her and wordlessly sat down.

Riliane noticed him out of the corner of her eye and turned to face him fully. “Allen?” She asked. Allen smiled. “Good afternoon, Princess.” He greeted. He opened the bag and, holding the ball in one hand, scattered the jacks across the stone. Riliane looked confused. “What are you doing?” She pressed.

“I’m just playing a little game.” Allen replied in a friendly tone.

“Jacks? That’s so...” She trailed off.

“Common?” He asked with a chuckle. “I think it’s fun. If I may, I’d like to play here. You can go back to reading.”

“You may play your game here.” Riliane marked her spot with her index finger and gazed at Allen as he set up the game. Suddenly, Allen felt self-conscious. He began by picking up one jack at a time, then two, as Riliane gazed on. With his heart pounding in his ears, one quick bounce and extreme dexterity allowed him to pick up all ten jacks and catch the ball before it landed a second time.

Allen’s eyes lit up. “I did it!” He breathed, proud of himself. He held the fruits of his efforts in one of his hands, the sunlight glinting off the six-sided metal.

“I would like to try.” Riliane gave a quick glance to her book before shutting it and sitting on the ground across from Allen. Allen stared at her in surprise – it wasn’t like her to sit on the ground at all.

“You... know how to play, correct?” Allen slightly raised one eyebrow.

“Of course, I know how to _play_ the game, it doesn’t mean that I deigned to play it as a child.” She replied with a prim tone. Allen’s other eyebrow rose. He honestly couldn’t tell if she was making up a reason for not playing, or if she was insultingly comparing to the exquisite toys she must have had growing up.

Allen shook his head. That didn’t matter. “All right, let’s start with picking up one at a time.” He smiled. He reached over and handed Riliane the ball, which she accepted.

As Allen explained how to play jacks, Riliane did her best. Although she fumbled at first, she quickly began to pick up on how to play. Allen relished getting to play the game with her for the rest of the afternoon, happy to finally share something of his own with his sister.


	16. Moonlight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Riliane joins Allen on the balcony during a full moon, and they both end up musing about the light it gives off.
> 
> ✾✾✾

The nights had grown chillier as the year passed, but they also came earlier. Often, after dinner, Allen liked to go out to one of the balconies to look at the stars. Nobody really noticed that he came or went – it was his time to be alone with his thoughts.

The moon was full and shining brightly, illuminating the lands across the palace. As his coat protected him from bouts of chilly wind, a whimsical smile slowly came across Allen’s face as his eyes got lost in the night sky.

As he stared, he vaguely heard footsteps behind him. Normally, people would pass and let him be, but this time, the footsteps stopped. Allen didn’t think much of it until a feminine voice pierced through his thoughts. “Allen?”

Allen’s shoulders slumped slightly, but he turned around with his hands behind his back and a serviceable smile. “Good evening, Princess. How may I be of assistance?” He asked.

Instead of answering, Riliane walked towards him. Allen held his position like a statue as his older sister moved past him towards the balcony. She draped one hand over the edge and rested her chin in the other, balancing her elbow precariously on the stone. Riliane looked up towards the sky, and Allen broke his stance to close the door to the palace she’d left open.

“What are you doing out here?” She asked quizzically.

“Just looking at the sky and thinking to myself.” He replied honestly, back still turned as he uncomfortably fiddled with the door handle.

“What are you thinking about?” Riliane spoke without turning her head from the sky.

Allen let go of the door and turned towards her slightly with a small wave of dismissal. “Oh, nothing of importance. Just this and that.” He grinned, but his sister didn’t turn around to see it.

“Isn’t it amazing how bright it is when the moon is out as opposed to when it’s gone from the sky?” Riliane murmured. Allen blinked in surprise and moved to stand at her side. He rested both of his hands on the stone balcony, keeping a polite distance from hers.

“Yes, it is. Without the moon, it’s impossible to see without a lamp.”

The fingers on Riliane’s face stiffened slightly. “What if one got lost somewhere without a light?” She asked tensely. Allen laughed quietly. Was she trying to scare herself?

“I would hope they’d be in an area that they know. Imagine getting lost in the forest. I think that, even with the full moon, it would be quite difficult to exit.” Allen noted. “In fact, I wonder if the moonlight might make it worse? Perhaps blocking some stars with its light that could be useful.”

Riliane pondered on this quandary for a few moments with a look of sheer concentration. Allen stayed quietly beside her, finally able to bring himself to relax his posture.

“I know!” Riliane finally said, perking up. Allen looked over in surprise. “What if you caught some of the moonlight? Like, in a bottle? Then you would have your own lamp and you could find your way home!” She said brightly.

Allen laughed warmly at her suggestion. “How would one catch moonlight in a bottle?” He asked, leaning in a bit closer.

“Well, you’d just hold up a bottle to the moon, and then when it was filled with moonlight, you’d close it!” She replied as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. On Allen’s blank stare, Riliane hurriedly continued. “It would have to be a special bottle, obviously.”

“Why a bottle? Why not a jar?” Allen prodded.

“Because it would be too much of a burden to carry around while being lost!” Riliane replied indignantly. Allen pushed one of his hands into his face as a big, silly grin overtook it.

“And where would you find such a bottle?” Allen’s voice was tight from trying to contain his laughter.

“I don’t know!” Riliane huffed. “This is obviously hypothetical! If you ever find such a jar, test it and then give it to me if it works.”

“What if I got hopelessly lost testing it in the forest and ended up somewhere in the middle of Elphegort?”

“Then you’d have to be punished for how many times you missed serving me my afternoon snack when you finally returned.” She replied matter-of-factly.

Allen finally allowed some of his laughter to escape as a cold gust of wind blew past them. Riliane noticeably shivered. Without even thinking, Allen took off his coat and gently placed it over Riliane’s shoulders. He received a surprised look in return. He prepared himself for a complaint about wearing peasants’ clothes, or Allen being underdressed while attending her, but instead, Riliane took the arms and wrapped his jacket more tightly around her small frame. “Thank you.” She said quietly.

Allen smiled, holding back a shiver of his own as a second wind passed by, piercing through his long-sleeved shirt.

“If we ever did get lost in the forest, you’d just need to follow me.” Allen’s tone took a slightly sober turn. “I could lead you back home no matter where we were.”

“But what if I was lost by myself?” Riliane pressed.

“Well, first you’d have to blame yourself for running off without anyone to accompany you.” He teased before regaining his solemnity. “But, I’m sure I’d find a way to you. And then, we’d both find a way back home together. And, I’m sure the moon would be there to guide our way.”

Despite knowing that such a scenario would truly be terrifying, the way that he said it, Allen couldn’t help but feel he was romanticizing the situation, in a way. He hoped Riliane wouldn’t decide that it sounded like fun and run off…

“Allen?” Riliane asked tentatively.

“Yes?” Allen looked over towards his sister, huddled in his coat. Her eyes were on him now, and she was looking somewhere just past his ear, although he knew nothing was there.

“Thanks for always taking care of me.” She mumbled.

Allen’s heart rose at her small yet sincere show of gratitude. “I will always take care of you.” He promised.


End file.
